Re: Re: club foot

["Jan Mutchler" <jmutchler@h2net.net>]

Hi Ridecampers:  This is my humble input on what I have learned about
clubfoot from researching materials, talking to top vets and farriers
experienced in the area and through personal experience.  This is only my
take on the subject - I certainly am not qualified to debate the topic to
great length.

Clubfoot can be caused be a variety of different "things", i.e. hereditary,
nutritional, injury, farrier induced, etc.  There are different degrees of
severity.  The mildest form may show the longer heel, smaller hoof, smaller
frog; but not necessarily a rotation of the coffin bone, pressure on the
navicular bone by the DDF tendon, or dishing of the hoof.  As the condition
becomes more severe, then you see more of the previously mentioned
signs/symptoms.  You will also see the low heel syndrome in the opposite
hoof due to the scissoring effect.

There are different forms of treatment such as from the more traditional
method of taking down the clubfoot heel to a more severe type of treatment
in cutting the chek ligament to using Natural Balance shoeing principles,
which would incorporate using wedge pads.  It appears to me (the layperson)
that any of the above principles can be utilized with success DEPENDING UPON
each individual situation.

For whatever reason, the clubfoot is trying "to do its own thing".    Which
is, to make a longer heel and a more "compressed" hoof in that it won't look
as big and full as a normal hoof.  Quite often, the DDF tendon is stretched
too tight.  My understanding (correct me if I am wrong) is that the DDF
tendon ties into the coffin bone.  When the coffin bone shifts downward, it
pulls the DDF tendon onto the back of the navicular bone, which causes a
pain syndrome.  To relieve the pain syndrome, you have to trim the hoof so
that it is balanced and with lower heels.  Then, you place impression
material around the sulci to help encourage the heels to widen.  The
lowering of the heels helps to bring the hoof back into its natural state,
encouraging blood flow and a healthier growth.  After that you shoe with a
wedge pad.  Sometimes a frog insert is attached to the outside of the pad to
help encourage frog growth.  Raising the heels back up via the wedge
releases the DDF tendon off the back of the navicular.  The wedge pad has to
be high enough to get the hoof landing more normal, which is heel first.
Sometimes the low heeled hoof on the opposite side also needs to be wedged
to raise that heel.  That would help the shoulders to redevelop more evenly
and in time help change the scissoring syndrome.

It is also interesting to note that the opposite hoof will sometimes test
sore when using hoof testers due to the overuse of that leg.  Other problems
will also show up in the clubfoot horse such as refusing to take the lead on
the clubfoot, or the horse doing a short step to throw the posting rider
onto the more comfortable diagonal.  Back problems and other spinal related
problems can also show up.

Anyway, for what its worth, that is my understanding of clubfoot.  Hope it
helps.
Jan Mutchler
Littleton, CO